I joined the forum actually to ask a question under 'Bee products'. But now I have joined, I have a general question too. I have had a layman interest in bees for a while, since CCD appeared, because it's obviously an important environmental and societal issue.

When my bee question came up today and I wanted to find some experts, I remembered that I had read earlier about a split in the beekeeping community, because the British Beekeepers Association was taking funding from the pesticide industry. I was just googling around, and did not find any up-to-date information. How did that turn out and what is the latest situation?

Thanks. I had seen that letter at the time, I think there was a Guardian article, and I remembered it. I also recall afterwards that the Environment Minister of the time, Mr Paterson, was making a great deal about a government report that exonerated neonicotinoids of any connection to CCD, disagreeing with multiple published papers in the scientific literature. The author of that report, Dr Helen Thompson, shortly later left her post with the UK government to join Syngenta. Interesting move, I assume she's doing well. All history now but thanks for your actions to highlight the issue at that time.

My point was that a scientist wrote a report that favoured the pesticide industry while employed by the UK govt, and shortly thereafter joined a pesticide company. It's directly relevant to the question of the close connection between the BBKA and the pesticide industry.

True, but BBKA Enterprises was established to "hide" pesticide money from the membership. BBKA Enterprises still exists. The excuses given (VAT recovery and trading) for it's continued existence are invalid as those roles can both be done by BBKA.

Members should question the existence of a company that has no apparent role.

The BBKA never said that they would not take money from pesticide companies, merely that they would not take money for endorsements involving the use of the BBKA logo.

Those weasel words allow them plenty of scope to accept dirty money on any number of other pretexts, while continuing their policy of grovelling servitude to Bayer and Syngenta, as evidenced by their failure to campaign against neonicotinoids or any other pesticides that have been proven to be a danger to bees.

Conserving wild bees

Research suggests that bumble bee boxes have a very low success rate in actually attracting bees into them. We find that if you create an environment where first of all you can attract mice inside, such as a pile of stones, a drystone wall, paving slabs with intentionally made cavities underneath, this will increase the success rate.

Most bumble bee species need a dry space about the size a football, with a narrow entrance tunnel approximately 2cm in diameter and 20 cm long. Most species nest underground along the base of a linear feature such as a hedge or wall. Sites need to be sheltered and out of direct sunlight.